Only Time Will Tell
by wisher93
Summary: What would have happened if the vest wasn't enough to stop the bullet in "Invisible" when Maggie and OA encounter Sam? Only Maggie really knows, but I sure can guess.


AN: KJ, this story is for you.

Maggie doesn't know how long she's been pacing, back and forth, dulling the perfect shine of the illuminated hallway. The harsh iridescent lights assaulting her brain causing the already incomprehensible headache to grow.

Maggie looks down and is caught off guard yet again by the stains of red that have long since dried on her clothes. She shakes her head, trying to shove away the mental images barraging her memory. She continues forging her path, wondering how much longer before the floor below her begins to wear away in her constant movement plagued by heartache and despair.

How long has she been here? A day, an hour, a lifetime? It sure feels like time has frozen altogether. Still, on she paces.

A voice rings out behind her, calling her name. Maggie knows it can't possibly be him, but stilll hopes and prays and begs any God listening that it is.

But it's Jubal, followed closely by Dana and Kristen. Jubal approaches to wrap her in a giant hug. She can't help but feel disappointed because it's not who she was hoping for.

Still, Maggie's glad they came. Of course they did. OA is as much a part of their family as he is hers.

They don't even ask if there's news, because she would have immediately told them. So they just stand there in that impossibly grueling hallway waiting for something, anything to explain what's going on.

Eventually Dana puts her hand on Maggie's shoulder though she's still pacing. It pulls her from some unspoken nightmare and she turns to face Dana wide-eyed.

"Let's find a place to sit and wait," she says gently. "You're not doing either of you any good by wearing yourself ragged."

Maggie studies her, trying for once to read her, profile her, the way Dana does them. But of course, her brain is working too hard playing back the whole scenario in her mind and her body is too exhausted to even register the words.

_Sam is standing before them nearly out of his mind with his self-serving mission and Maggie can see almost immediately that he's not going back, is not giving up. She is trying to convince herself she can take him out if necessary. It's not really that; she knows she could, she would if it meant saving lives. She just knows his death will indubitably end up haunting her for awhile. She doesn't need that right now._

_So, Maggie needs to do everything she can to try to save him until it gets to the point that shooting him is the only option. She starts to speak to him, lie to him about how he's already won and all that, just to get him to hesistate enough to matter. Just when she thinks she might be getting to him, he starts ranting about how he doesn't need to do anything, doesn't need to listen. _

_"I make the rules. This is my day." _

_He has a crazy look in his eyes and Maggie knows it's over before it really even began. He starts looking around the room making what is possibly the last decision of his life as he decides what's to come. His next step could very well force her to put a bullet between his eyes. _

_But she's not expecting her partner to brazenly dash at Sam, effectively knocking him to the ground and simultaneously failing to dodging a bullet that rings out from Sam's gun._

_Maggie runs forward and kicks the gun from Sam's hands before getting on top of him before he can do any more damage. OA has rolled to the side and is holding his chest. Maggie__ can hear him panting and wheezing, unable to get a breath. _

_She calls for Hank, another agent, to come help. As he takes over for her, she slides over to OA who is still gasping for breath. The hole in his vest stops her heart cold and she can't help but rip at the vest yanking it off of him. But her eyes confirm what her heart cannot. The vest was not enough to protect him. Sam shot OA._

_The blood is coming so fast, so fast Maggie can hardly see the wound anymore. Her hands are pushing hard against his chest trying unsuccessfully__ to stop the flow. OA is panicking, trying to claw at her hands like she's the one who is keeping him from breathing. Maggie does her best to calm him, to tell him he will be alright, but the panic in her own voice and the doubts she feel are undoubtedly evident on her face._

_Still, she doesn't move as another agent makes the necessary calls to get OA to the hospital. Even as the paramedics arrive, she can't let go, afraid every last ounce of blood will pour out of him if she moves her hands. Someone has to pry her up and away, though she couldn't tell you who did it._

_Maggie doesn't know why but suddenly she can't move. Everything in her is shouting at her to go, to walk forward, to make sure he's okay, but all she can think is that if she stays here she can pretend he's okay, pretend he's alive. Even if he's not. _

_ Maggie just watches him being loaded into the ambulance, as the doors close, and as her partner and her best friend is taken away._

Moments after, of course, she becomes unstuck and nearly flies as she makes her way to the hospital; however, there was nothing waiting for her as she arrived other than hearing he was already in surgery and that there is no other news.

Jubal has just gotten Maggie to follow him to a nearby waiting room when the double doors open and a nurse stands there calling for her.

Maggie's head snaps up as she whirls around, searching the nurse for any signs of what he is about to share. His stone face shows nothing, but his words send her deeper into despair.

"It doesn't look good. The shot tore through a lung and nicked a rib sending bone fragments hurtling into other organs throughout the chest cavity. It's touch and go, but we are doing everything we can. I'll do my best to keep you updated."

He's gone almost as soon as he arrives and he's taken the last bit of Maggie's heart with him. Dana and Kristen must have already been in the waiting room when the nurse appeared, because now it's only her and Jubal in the hallway and she is thankful because she couldn't hold herself together any longer.

Maggie instantly starts to sob, huge heaving sighs and tears that form rivers down her cheek. She turns toward the wall and slams an open hand into the window as she lets out a loud, but brief shout.

She keeps turning just enough that her back is now resting against the same wall she just assaulted and sinks down so she's sitting on the floor. She folds her arms over her knees and rests her forehead down on top of them.

Maggie hears Jubal shift beside her, but doesn't even have the energy to apologize for her preposterous behavior. She is slightly surprised as he slides down the wall beside her and puts one arm around her shoulders drawing her in close to him.

Despite it all, the rage, the doubt, the question, despite wondering if her tough, dedicated partner can survive, she can't fight the exhaustion that has been threatening her for hours.

XxXxXxX

She doesn't know how long she sleeps, but Maggie wakes to quiet voices whispering nearby. She listens half heartedly, still mostly asleep and discovers Dana and Kristen are going to go grab something for them to eat.

After mere moments, all thoughts return to OA and she instantly feels sick to her stomach. She is sore from sitting on the ground and has a kink in her neck from leaning on Jubal's shoulder this whole time.

As questions begin to bombard her, she lifts her head and quietly asks if there has been another update.

Jubal shakes his head. "Not since the last one about ninety minutes ago. But, Mags, we have to believe he's going to be fine." He covers her her hand which is resting on her knee with his hand.

"What if he's not," she hears someone ask.

She realizes it was her, but her voice was almost unrecognizable, coming out in a rough, forced whisper. Of all times to lose her voice. She must have been yelling more than she thought as he was laying there on the ground bleeding out.

The thought sends shivers down her spine.

"We will cross the bridge if we come to it," he says, "but we won't. He'll be okay."

"I should have shot the kid before he could hurt OA," maggie confesses, but Jubal won't hear it.

"Don't do that. You couldn't possibly have known. You were by the book, Maggie. The whole time."

"But it wasn't enough!" Maggie says loudly as she stands and starts to pace again. Her body groans in protest but she can't just sit and wait. It would kill her.

"If you would have shot and killed him, it would have been too soon. You weren't at that point yet that you needed to. And if you would have, you would've never forgiven yourself." Jubal stands, too, and leans against the wall watching her.

"I won't forgive myself if OA dies, and it's not the same," she says as she shakes away tears that threaten to fall.

"Why?" he asks, though she's sure he knows the answer, knows of course it's not the same.

"Because he's, because I... because it's OA."

In that one choppy, hard to hear sentence, Maggie said everything she needed to say.

Jubal pushes himself away from the wall and moves so he's standing in front of her. Then he pulls her into a hug, holding her tight, wishing he could change what has happened. But he can't. So he just holds her and whispers, "I know," into her ear.

XxXxXxX

After a few more hours of painstakingly slow moments, tears and doubts, a doctor appears in the doorway. Maggie snaps to attention, standing quickly from her chair. The others follow her with their eyes until they also see the doctor.

By this point, Amira has joined them and Omar's mother was on her way, scheduled to arrive within the hour. Amira moves to stand by Maggie and even grabs her hand.

"Doctor?" Maggie begs, needing to know.

The doctor begins to talk and the words hardly register in her mind.

"...hard surgery...lost a lot of blood...did all we could..."

A few tears escape from the corners of her eyes.

"...we will have to wait and see," the doctor finishes.

"Wait, what?" Maggie asks. "You mean, he's alive?"

She can't help the hope that's reappeared in her voice as she hears his words.

"He's by no means out of the woods yet, but he did make it through surgery. He's currently in critical condition, asleep. If he makes it through the night, his odds will greatly improve."

Maggie hears the others thanking the doctor, hears Dana asking another question, but she can't focus in on the words.

_He's alive!_

Amira hugs Maggie, clings to her tightly at the good news. Despite the conversation the doctor is having with OA, she asks, "can we see him?"

The doctor looks at her as he answers. "You can go to his room, look in from the window, but you can't go in until tomorrow. His situation is much to critical for now."

It feels like a punch to the gut, but she nods anyway, still clinging to the notion that he's alive.

"Fourth floor, room 421."

The doctor leaves them to process what he's said, but Maggie is out the door before anyone can stop her. Not wanting to wait for the elevator, she decides on the stairs, taking them two at a time.

She nearly runs down the hallway, barely stopping to take in the room numbers. 425, 424, 423, 422. She freezes, breathing hard.

What would she see when she peered in the window? Did the doctor make a mistake? Is OA really alive?

She slowly inches to the window, reaching out to touch it as she continues closer. With one last deep breath, she looks into the room.

He's there. He looks small and hardly alive, but he's there and his heart is beating and he's somehow still breathing, though maybe a machine is doing that for him. But it doesn't matter because he's alive.

Maggie doesn't know how long she stands there, but not too long after, the rest of the team joins her. Eventually, they start to leave, one by one, saying goodbyes or that they will be back tomorrow, as they go until it's only her and Amira left. Jubal gives Maggie a hug as he leaves, though it's from the side because she can't pull herself away from the window.

Maggie's heart slowly begins to beat like normal, and her lungs begin to breathe fully. Her heart rate drops and her shoulders relax. She pulls herself into some sore of normalcy.

When she is finally able to turn her head from the window to look at Amira, Maggie can see how tired she is.

"Amira, why don't you find a place to curl up. I'll let you know if anything changes."

Amira looks like she might argue, but sighs deeply and reluctantly agrees.

Over the next few hours, nurses and doctors check on OA, none having any real information to share other than seeing what happens when he wakes up. They are all friendly, and do what they can to ease Maggie's mind, but none of it really helps.

One nurse, Rachel, is especially caring. She spends time talking to Maggie, wanting to hear about OA and what he is like. It calms Maggie even more to talk about him. She even tells her a little about the event that lead to him being here.

"He's my best friend," Maggie eventually tells her, "and Iet him down."

Maggie sees tears in the nurse's eyes that mirror her own.

Rachel's next words surprise Maggie.

"I am going to check on some other patients which takes me about thirty minutes. I won't be able to guard the room to make sure no one goes in. I just hope if someone does, they don't move him and don't touch him too much. Understand?" She's smiling a little as she walks away and Maggie can't help but be thankful for this nurse.

As soon as Rachel is down the hall, Maggie slowly opens the door to OA's room. She walks to his bedside and grabs his hand. Her eyes close as she fights, yet again, tears that pool behind her eyelids.

Maggie lets go of his hand just long enough to grab a chair that has been stashed in the corner and pull it beside his bed. She sits and takes his hand again in both of hers.

Maggie is surprised to see it's been about six hours since he got out of surgery. It feels good to be off her feet, but it feels so much better to be holding his hand, hearing his breathing, seeing him fighting to live.

She doesn't feel it happen but, again, calmly drifts off to sleep.

Loud alarms are Maggie's harsh wake up call this time around, and she finds herself turning her head back and forth trying to identify the origin of the ringing. She realizes it's OA's heart monitor and begins to panic.

Rachel appears followed closely by another nurse and a doctor. Rachel hurries to Maggie and has to nearly drag Maggie from the room, but apologizes the whole time. When Maggie is in front of the window, Rachel returns to the room and closes the door behind her.

Maggie watches in anguish as the three work to find a heart rhythm. One removes the hospital gown covering his chest and another preps to shock his heart. She hears one of the nurses yell, "clear!" And watches OA's lifeless body jump into the air. Nothing.

"Another round of Epi and charge again," Maggie hears the doctor order and a nurse grabs a syringe that she injects.

Another shock shoots through his body and Maggie holds her breath unknowingly as she waits for his heart to start beating. Her eyes go blurry and she realizes she's crying, tears raining down her cheeks as she silently begs OA to start breathing again.

Still, nothing.

The doctor looks like he is about to give up and Maggie raises one hand to the window. Sobs come from deep inside tearing their way through her throat. Rachel looks up and meets her eyes, sad and pained.

Maggie sees Rachel's mouth move but can't make out the words, but all three medical professionals look up at her for a moment before the doctor nods and they prep to shock again.

OA's body jumps and Maggie leans her forehead against the glass hoping for something, anything that shows OA is still alive.

She can't believe her eyes when it happens. The flat red line on the monitor begins to move, up and down signaling life, proving his heart is still beating.

The doctor begins to check on OA's other life signs as Rachel makes her way into the hallway to Maggie. Maggie nearly collapses into her arms in a hug and they stay like that for a few minutes.

"Thank you," Maggie chokes out as she pulls away. "Thank you."

Rachel nods, tears of her own gleaming in her eyes. The doctor emerges from the room and talks to Maggie saying words she doesn't understand, but Maggie gets the gist. This is just the first of what could be many. OA still has a long road in front of him.

Rachel looks at Maggie again. "Do you want to go back in?"

Maggie looks surprised. "You let me stay last time and look what happened," she says, doubt evident in her voice.

Rachel smiles sadly. "If anything you being there will be good for him, not bad. You didn't do anything to cause that. You being there could help him get better. Maybe not, but it definitely won't hurt," she finishes as she leads Maggie back into the room.

"He can't hear me, can he?"

"I wouldn't be so sure," she says simply before heading out of the room. She pauses at the door. "Just call if you need anything. I'll be around."

Maggie smiles thankfully at the kind nurse who has done so much for them already. Then she sits down in her chair and grabs his hand again. She lays her head carefully on his chest just to prove to herself he really is alive. He's so still it's hard to tell.

The feeling of his chest rising and falling is enough to soothe her fears, at least, for the most part and Maggie allows herself to just revel in the moment. Sans the tubes and wires, and of course the gun shot and needing to be in the hospital. But if she tries really hard, she can imagine this a completely different moment. One where they are far from the hospital.

Maggie can't help but talk to him, talking about everyone and everything including her time with the FBI before him, the pets she's had over the years, the cabin she went to as a young girl, cases they've worked together, and so much more. One story after another. She could almost hear the comments she knows he would make, the laughter she'd hear, how he'd tease her about this or that.

Maggie's eyes begin to droop and exhaustion sets in. She fights it, afraid of what will happen to OA as she sleeps, but she can't fight forever.

XxXxXxX

Maggie feels a hand on her hair, fingers gently moving back and forth across the top of her head. She enjoys the feeling for a few seconds before she realizes what that means. Her head flies up as she straightens up from leaning on the bed and she finds herself staring into OA's open eyes.

She can't help but smile-truly smile- for what feels like the first time in forever. She laughs a little, and OA returns her smile, eyes shining the way Maggie loves. She pulls his hand, still encased in her own, to her cheek.

"OA..." she starts, but she can't finish, too emotional to process his current state.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up. I was starting to worry _you_ were the one on _your_ deathbed," OA jokes, but Maggie's smile falters and starts to disappear.

"OA, I was so worried. You were dead..." she whispers, eyes wide trying to keep her emotions in check.

"I know," he responds and it sounds like he means it, his voice filled with pain and sadness.

"I didn't know what to do. Why did you do that? Why did you run at him?" Tears appear in her eyes further reminding OA of the seriousness of his actions.

He doesn't know how to respond, doesn't know how to say everything he's been feeling. There's nothing to say, no words that will make a difference. So he does the best he can.

"I just acted on instinct."

He realizes it's not enough, that it makes him sound reckless, but that's not it at all. He saw something in Sam's eyes that chilled him to the bone, that scared him. Not because he was in danger, but because she was. And his first shot would have been at her. He had to act while Sam was distracted.

"Instinct? Your instinct was reckless!" Maggie says, almost angry sounding. But it's really just her trying not to sound scared, trying to put on a brave face.

"My instinct was to save you! Don't tell me that was reckless," OA says exasperated before he can shove it back down inside, hide his thoughts, push her away.

Maggie just stares at him, eyes wide and mouth open. She was not expecting that.

Unsure of what to do now, as she tries to process what OA just said, she lets go of his hand letting it slip from her cheek. She needs to get herself under control, needs to stop crying, but she can't.

"It scared me. Don't do that again," she whispers. "I mean, you stopped breathing. You're heart stopped."

They both stay quiet as seconds turn to minutes. They just stare at each other saying so many things without needing words. Maggie wipes away any traces of tears and sighs. She rests her head on her clasped hands, her elbows resting on OA's bed. She can't dwell on that anymore, has to look at now, at what she still has. Her partner. Her best friend. OA is alive.

She opens her mouth to speak, but OA's hand returns to her cheek and rests there, his thumb slowly rubbing back and forth a few times.

"I'm sorry, Mags. I'm so sorry."

He drops his hand back to the bed. He shakes his head like there's more he wants to say, but the words go unsaid.

"So, when are you gonna bust me outta here?" he asks.

It was so unexpected, Maggie can't help but laugh. She just shakes her head at him.

"If I have my way you'll have to suffer here for weeks!"

"Oh, c'mon! If you don't finish me off for all the worry I caused you, the hospital food might!" His smile is large and he's looking for her smile, needing to hear her laugh.

"Hey, natural consequences are the best lesson," Maggie says with a shrug.

OA pretends to pout, looking sad.

Just then Amira bursts into the room, running to her brother. She throws her arms around him carefully, crying.

Maggie takes a few steps back to give them space and considers leaving for a few minutes, but OA reaches out one hand while still hugging Amira and Maggie willingly takes it in her own.

Something has changed, that's for certain. Maybe because she watched her partner nearly die or maybe because he experienced just a taste of death, or maybe for another reason altogether. But the change was there, and it was growing. Where it will lead? Only time will tell.

For now, here's what Maggie know: OA ran into a bullet to try to protect her, nearly losing him practically broke her, and, most of all,

OA was alive. He will recover completely. And they need each other. What else really matters?

AN: I just need to give a huge shout out to KJ. Your review inspired this story by giving me the words that expressed what I was feeling, what I wanted to hear OA say. "My instinct was to protect you." Brilliant. I hope you all enjoyed. I know there are a couple different works for this episode, but none that explore the possibility of the vest not stopping the bullet. How would Maggie really feel? I don't know. But this was my best guess. Please let me know what you think. It may just inspire my next story! (:


End file.
